‘I would have said you were an idiot’: Trainer Troy Corstens amazed with progression of Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic contender Zouclaire

Now on the borderline of getting a start in the rich race, Corstens is committed to racing Zouclaire at the Gold Coast on Saturday to ensure she makes the field for the rich juvenile sprint a week later.

Zouclaire is currently a $21 chance in the Magic Millions on January 11 and is the $2.80 favourite to take out Saturday’s Gold Pearl (2YO fillies) where even finishing in the placings will almost certainly be enough to assure her of a Magic Millions spot.

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Zouclaire will have winkers for the first time as Corstens and his co-trainers attempt to ensure the filly’s mind is on the job after she ran about on debut when finishing runner-up behind Invincible Woman in the Magic Millions Vic 2YO Classic at Caulfield last month.

Regardless, Corstens is still pinching himself that $110,000 purchase Zouclaire is set to be a Magic Millions Classic contender.

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“Had you told me four months ago that she would have been running up here on the Gold Coast, I would have said you were an idiot,” Corstens said, after arriving on the Queensland tourist strip.

“You look at her, and she is quite big and she doesn’t look like a precocious running two-year-old who would be ready for the Magic Millions.

“But she has just bounced through everything so well and she has handled everything we have thrown at her.

“I would have liked to have just run this filly in the big one (Magic Millions 2YO Classic), but we are touch and go if we are going to get a run, so we will run her on Saturday and just confirm that we can get in.

“We don’t want to fire her up, but we think the winkers might just help her concentrate a little bit more.

“I haven’t had her going flat out with winkers on, but if they can help her one little bit then it is job done.”

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Among the Saturday Gold Coast arsenal of Corstens and his co-trainers, father Leon and Will Larkin, is Stakes-placed three-year-old Stay Silent who is a well-fancied $4.20 chance in the $250,000 Magic Millions Maiden Plate (1400m).

Stay Silent, who hasn’t won a race in six starts despite showing good talent, finished fifth when first-up at Caulfield when his trainers could have instead opted for a much easier race.

“We probably could have run him in a maiden race first-up and he would have been very hard to beat, but it would have ruled us out of running on Saturday,” Corstens said.

“This race on Saturday – it’s a ripper race for him, he's travelled up beautifully and his work has been excellent and he’s come on since that first-up run.

“He’s a huge chance.”

Group 1 performer Bittercreek will race for Corstens/Larkin team in the $3 million Gold Coast Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m) on January 11 after last being seen finishing second in the Sandown Guineas on November 30.

Bittercreek, with Blake Shinn booked to ride, is a $9 chance in betting on the Guineas.

“It is full steam ahead to the Guineas,” Corstens declared.

“The horse had a nice trial on Tuesday, he came through that really well and the 1400(m) of the Guineas will be perfect.”

Originally published as ‘I would have said you were an idiot’: Trainer Troy Corstens amazed with progression of Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic contender Zouclaire